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The Housing Crisis in Thompson

While much has been written about the lack of affordable housing in Winnipeg, the situation in other Manitoba communities has also reached crisis proportions. Thompson for example, has a zero percent rental vacancy rate. While residents continue to urge the provincial and federal governments to increase their investments in social housing, the City of Thompson is taking a more proactive role.

Thompson is Manitoba’s “service hub of the North”. With a population of some 13,256 it also serves as a trade centre for an additional 36,000 - 65,000 Manitobans. Approximately 36% of Thompson residents are Aboriginal, the largest Aboriginal population in any Canadian municipality.

Thompson is also a city with extreme income disparity. Thirteen percent of individuals over fifteen years reported income exceeding $80,000 in 2005 while 25% earned less than 15,000. The disparity has grown considerably since 2001. The population increased by 3.7% between 2001 and 2006. The number of individuals earning less than 15,000 decreased slightly (about 5%). But more striking is the increasing number of high-income earners in this period—a 65% increase in those earning $80,000 plus.